The first woman to take part in Turkey’s commando selection course is hoping to pass with flying colors this summer.
Sgt. Arzu Oguz, 23, is undergoing the gruelling training course at the army’s commando school in Isparta province, southern Turkey.
The 28-week selection process is broken into four sections -- arctic combat training, land operations, marine operations and parachute drill -- and she is currently halfway through the second section.
Oguz was already a serving soldier when she applied for the Egirdir Mountain Commando School in January, becoming the school’s first female attendee in its 91-year history.
“Being a commando means making a new beginning the moment you say ‘I am completely exhausted’,” Oguz told Anadolu Agency on the training course in Isparta.
Due to military rules, she will not be able to serve in a ground forces combat role but Oguz is determined to be the first Turkish woman to complete one of the world’s toughest military training courses and is keen to serve the elite unit “in whatever role it may be”.
“Although I am a woman and will not serve in a combat unit role, I’ve found the power in me,” she said. “What is important is to be aware of your personal power and what you are capable of.”
Oguz hopes to be awarded the commandos’ coveted blue beret in July and is keen to disprove that women are not physically or mentally capable of undergoing commando training -- claims that were levelled at her before she applied.
She comes from a military family -- her father was an army NCO -- and she already passed strict physical and psychological assessments to take part in the training.
“Every single training exercise here builds new things in your body and mind,” she said.
Oguz graduated from the army’s two-year vocational school in Balikesir, western Turkey, two years ago.
The land operations section of the course that she is currently doing is regarded as the toughest part of the course.
So far, she has had to cover hundreds of kilometres (miles) of rugged land in marches while carrying 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of kit.
The training is “not easy”, but Oguz believes it will make her stronger.
“There are some moments when we cannot even stand up but these are the moments which make us realize just how strong our bodies really are,” she said.
However, Oguz does not intend to rest if she successfully completes the commando course and has set her eyes on training for Turkey’s Maroon Berets special forces.
“When I complete the training, I will be one step closer to my dream,” she said.
